Process of making cambered rail-joint bars.



- B. WOLHAUPTER.

PROCESS OF MAKING CAMBERED RAIL JOINT BARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, I913.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

anon M101 B. WOLHAUPTER.

or MAKING CAVMBERED RAIL JOINT BARS 1,172,655. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

5SHEETS M/ WI Ii M M w \A in M W9 9 u B. WOLHAUPTER.

PROCESS OF MAKING CAMBERED RAIL JOINT BARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1913.

1,172,655. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

B. WOLHAUPTER.

PROCESS OF MAKING CAMBERED RAIL JOINT BARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1913. 1 7 1,172,655. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

a Home #Q MML Patented Feb. 22,1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

Q R A B T N m3 W A H D TIER Dion UE D M L C WGN w Rw H AC u F O S S E C0 R DI UNITED STATES PATENT orrron BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, OF NEW ROCHELLE,NEW' YORK, ASS IGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,,ACOR]?ORATION OFNEW YORK.

rnocnss OF'MAKING GVAMIBIEREIDI RAIL-JOINT BARS.

Application filed April 24, 1913. Serial N 0. 763,348.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WOLHAUP- TER, a citizen'of the UnitedStates, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and Stateof New York, have invented certain, new and useful Improvements inProcesses of Making Cambered Rail-Joint Bars, of which thefollowing isaspecification. V

This invention relates to the manufacture of rail joints of the camberedtype having a crowned-base for supporting the rail ends, and with thenecessary clearance for the rails within the end portions of the joint.This type of joint provides means for binding the rail ends firmly atthe center of the joint, while allowing the balance of the rails, withinthe end portions of the joint, to have free play under the wave motionof th track.

To this end the invention has in view a simple and practical method ofmanufacturingjoint bars for a cambered or crownedbase rail joint, whichprocess may be carried out by the use of simple mechanical appliances orexpedients that are readily available, or can be easily adapted, for thepurose. p In this connection it is an object of the invention topreferably employ the ordinary angle or splice-bar mill as the shapingmeans for developing and shaping the-joint bar section from the billetor bar blank, thus admitting of the productionofa bar section in thepasses of a rolling mill, and subsequently giving it a final set toproduce the cambered joint effect by a simple operation involving themanipulation of the end portions only of the section, to slightly defleet such end portions, including both the splice member and the basemember thereof, to a final position slightly distant from the plane ofthose members at the'central part of the bar.

While various instrumentalities may be utilized in the carrying out ofthis invention, and various alterations may be made in the precisemanner of handling the bar, both during its reduction and shaping, andalso in its final setting to cambered form, without departing from theinvention, one of the ways in which the process may be carried out in apractical manneris suggested in the accompanying drawlngs, 1n wh1ch Figure 1 1s a diagrammatic view 1llustra- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

tive of the first'two steps of the process, namely, the final rolls ofan ordinary rolling m1ll, and the cutting apparatus which severs ordivides the rolled bar into rail joint lengths. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation and projected end view of the rolled bar section-as deliveredfrom the rollingmill, or other shaping means, and sawed, sheared, orotherwise divided intoa rail'joint length. Figs.

3 and 4 are perspective views of one form of bending press or appliancethat may be utilized for subjecting the end portions of the rail jointbar section to bending pressure, Fig. 3 showing the press open and"about to operate upon the bar section of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 showing thepress closed, and the'end portions of the bar bent to one side of andbeyond the plane of the central portion. Fig. 5 is a top plan view ofone ofthe cambered bars, as produced. by the bending step ofthe process,illustrating "by V dotted lines the rail relation. Fig. Bis a crosssectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig.

5, the line AB illustrating that phase of the invention wherein thediagonal or oblique bending of the end portions of the bar may be notonly in the same angular direction,

but substantially at the same angle, as the angle of the top surfaceof'the rail flange of the rail for which the bar isdesigned. Fig.

7 is an end view of the bent bar, the view corresponding to a section onthe line 7.-7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the cambered railjoint bar, showing by dotted lines the relative positions of the railends to a bar of this construction, and showing the bar'punched for thebolts and slotted for the spikes. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7,illustratinga difierent angle of bend.

that may be employed in the final pressing step, that is'to say, anangle of bend which is on a less angle from the horizontal than topsurface of. the rail flange of'the rail for which the bar is designed.Fig. 10 is an end view of the joint parts of a Wolhaupter type of railjoint with such parts intheir proper relative set-up .positions toillustrate the applicability of the present process for'the productionof joint bars of the Wolhaupter type. Fig. 11 is a central crosssectional view through the jointparts shown in Fig. 10. In thedescription of the various steps of the process, likelreferencecharacters will designate corresponding parts in the sev-" eral views ofthe drawings.

The first step of the process is the production of a rail joint barpreferably of a conventional design, such-for instance as'may be firstrepresented'by'thecontinuous-typeof rail joint bar shown in Figs. 1 to 9inclusive of the drawings. This barmaybede veloped from the billet andgiven its final" shaping" configuration by any suitable means, but,according to the. presentv invention the preferable shaping means con-,sists of the passes of an ordinary rollzing mill, the fin -al rolls ofwhich are diagram-i naticallyf indicated-in Fig/1 of the draw lugs andare designated by the reference numeral 1. The bar: as it-comes from:the

mill, or other shaping means,-is divided into rail joint'lengths by anyof thewell'known cutting devices designated by thegnnmeral 2 m Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, aindthebarsection thus produced includesa mainangle splicemember 3 -whose upright and-afoot portions areof finished form. andadapted to: fit the fishing spaces of the rails, as indicated bythedotted lines in Fig 2 of the drawings; The saidbar section. alsoincludes a lower rail-supporting base member l adapted to engage beneaththe rail-bases and constitute aseat and support therefor.v

The bar sectiondnits first stage, as shown in Fig. 2' is infinishedform-both -as to shape or configuration, and as to properlyfitting the surfaceseof therail, but is unfinished as to its final set.That is to say, the bar section/in said first stage ofconstructionincludes an upper splice .member and a lower base member both lyinginthe same planethroughoutz and both disposed in their final positionsat the central .part of thebar. Accordingly, it. is proposed, by thepresent invention, togive:-the cambered set andeifect tothe-j'ointbar-sectionby subjecting the 1 end portions thereof :to a displacingordeflecting pressure in a direction diagonal to the plane of both theSftld! splice member and lower base memben-thereby defiecting ordisplacing the end portions ofv the rail when applied, ibut also tocarrythe ends of the rail supporting baselmember of the-bar to a finalposition where it would be disposed below and out of contact with therail base. However, for illustrative pur poses, there is suggested inFigs. 3 and 4 of the drawings one form of a bending press, or offsettingmachine, which may be utilized to effect this novel. result by a simplebendtween the points designated bythe reference numbers,- 12 and 13,which closely-fits the bar gradually slopes or inclines downwardly ing"operation. Referring tothese figures of the drawings, it will beobserved that, the I bending press shown in the draWi ngs, in-l eludes;a body or frame 5 having suitably arranged thereon a lower stationarydie block 6,

with'which cooperates an upper movable'die block 7 carried by avertically moving presser head 8,"supported and operated in anysuits:able manner to provide for raising and 1owering the upper die block 7according to the requirements of thervork; The lower block a6 hasformedtherein a. die recess 9conforming in shape-t0 the outside configuration.of the-joint bar tobe operated upon, while the upper dieblock 7 isprovided witha diesurface. 10 conforming in shape to: the insideconfiguration; of the ban.

The lo verdie block 6 is constructed: with a central abutment portion11," lying" besectionthroughout its central portion or length, and fromthepoints 12 and 13 the reeesswor pocket 9, in the lowerdie block,

towardjeachcnd thus providing well ;,defined clearance space at-thevarlous points recess 9: andthe outside of the oint bar section prior tothe bending thereof, aswmay be plainly seen; from Fig; 3 of, thedrawings.

'As shown, the cross section v of the upper die block 77,, at, itscentral portion 18, between the p eints-l9 and; 2.0; corresponds :tolthej oint bar asit is rolled or shaped in the first stage of Fig. 2,;butfrom the said points 19 and-20 the end portions-ofthe bending surfacesof l the die block 7 slope downwardly to each ex: tremity atuthe samerelative slope as the end portions ofzthe die recess' 9, and, accordingto. the particular illustration shown, thedie I blocksare-preferablymade and fittedtoI-the machine in such a manner that the line; orsurface E'F isin'the direction oft-hie. vertical movement of the presserhead 8. It will be observed thatthis'lineEe-F lies in" a planesubstantially parallel-to the inclining under; side of the foot- ;of theangle member, and since this plane" is maintained in the bendingoperation, the isaid'i'unde'r side ,of-

the foot of the the angle member is maintained in substantially the sameplane throughout the joint :bar,whi:le the end portions of the head andbase of the :barare crowdedor displaced =.into different planes fromtheiplanes of the head and 'baseof the bar at thecentralpart of thelatter.

. Referring briefly tot theoperation of the bending pressdescribedgaitiwill be understood :that initially the vertically moving"presser head'8 iseleva'ted to a pro-per limit to permit the rolled andcut joint bar section to beplacedin the recess 9 of the lower die block,so that the bar section will per? fectly fitthe same. .azshort'distancealong the f 14*, 15, 16., and 17 betweenthe Walls of said 1 i the barhave the clearance, above explained,

from the walls of the end portions of'rthe die recess in the block. Withthe joint bar thus,

positioned in the lower die block, the press is operated to lower theupper die block, and in its downward movement against the joint bar, theextreme ends of said block at the points 21, 23 and 25 first come incontact with the extreme ends of the joint bar at the points 22, 24; and26; As theupper die block continues its downward movement, the endportions of the joint bar are forced downwardly until they completelyand perfectly fit the end portions of the die recess 9, and completelyoccupy the original clearance spaces 14, 15, 16 and 17, the result ofwhich operation is to bend the end portions of the bar on the line EF,from the center to each end, or in other words ina direction diagonal tothe plane of both the upper splice member and lower base member at thecenter part of the bar, whereby the end portions of said members aredeflected or bent to final positions slightly distant from the planes ofsaid members at the central part 'of the bar, thus giving the camberedeffect.

After the operation described, the presser head is elevated suflicientlyto permit the removal of the cambered bar, and the bending step may thenbe repeated with other bars. V

In further explanation of that phase of the invention wherein thediagonal bending of the end'portions of the bar is accomplished atsubstantially the same angle as that of the top surface of the railflange, it will be noted by reference to Fig. 6 that uncler theseconditions the central part of the joint bar will clamp tightly to therail under the head of the rail, on top of the base, and below thelatter, but that beginning at the points designated by the referenceletter a in Fig. 5, the bar will leave the under side of the head of therail and the bottom of the rail base, gradually opening up toward theend, but nevertheless will still bear on top of the rail base flange. Inthis form of the bar, when the same is embodied in a rail joint and thebolts tightened, the bar will give a firm bearing and support at therail ends, but at the joint ends there will be a clearance below thehead of the rail and below the base of the rail so that the rail maydeflect downwardly under the load without moving or churning the joint.

A modification is shown in Fig. 9 wherein it'is proposed to have anangle or bend CD which is on a less angle from the horizontal than thetop surface of the rail flange, the effect of which is that the jointbar, from the central part toward both ends, gradually leaves aclearance for the rails not only between the heads of the latter and the10 and 11 of the drawings.

head ofthe bar and between the base: of the 'rails and the base of thebar, but also a slight clearance between the top of the base 7 flange ofthe rail and the joint bar, so that the rails maynot only deflectdownwardly in the. joint but may also take an upward bend or deflectionat the ends ofthe joint 1 The joint bars made according to the presentprocess are suitably punched and slotted, at any stage, and by anymeans, to make the usual provision for the track bolts and track spikeswhen said bars are set up in a rail joint, and since the invention isnot limited to the development and manipulation of a joint bar strictlyof the continuous type shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive of the draw ings,the applicability of the process to other forms of oint bars isillustrated inFigs.

In theillustration of Figs. 10am net the drawings, there are shown thejoint parts of a wolhaupter type of rail joint, with the various partsin their relative set-upv positions as they appear in a rail joint. Inthe production of a joint bar for this Wolhaupter type of rail joint, bymeans of the present process, the bar issubjected to the same shapingand bending operations already described and also includes the mainsplice member 3 and a lower base member 4, the latter having a clampingengagement with an edge portion of a separate base plate B. However, inadapting the separate base plate B of the VVolhaupter type of joint tojoint bars which have been subjected to the shaping and bendingoperations herein described, the said base plate is provided with acentrally crowned rail seat and support upon which the rail ends rest.This may be formed in a suitable press or die whose operations effect anupsetting or setting-up of the base plate, preferably at its centralportion, so as to provide a well defined seat to give the rail ends abase support at the center of the joint, while the remaining or endportions of the base plate are out of contact with the bottoms of therails and rest upon the end portions of the base members 4* which aredepressed by the bending operation.

In further explanation of the scope of the invention, it should be notedthat the same is not limited to the feature of accomplishing the bendingstep in one operation by a movement of the end portions of the barsection in a direction diagonal to the plane of both the splice memberand the lower base member of the bar. It will be apparent that since thebending movement is in a diagonal direction from the horizontal andvertical lines of the bar with reference to its applied position,consequently the same effect can be accomplished in two separateoperations, namely, first by bending the end portions of the barlaterally and afterward With the heads of the railswhen appli ed,and vbending the samevertically to produce he effect of carrying the ends ofthe splice member to a position where the heads thereof Will be disposedbelow and out of, contact also carryingthe end portions of the basemember of the bar to positionsbelow the plane of the central portion ofsaid base 1 member. I 7

Other modifications of the inventioniwith in the scope of the appendedclaims asgwell' 1. The process of making, cambered rail' joint barswhich. cons sts in subjecting a.v bar blank to shaping means toproduce abar section having final form andipositionv'along the central partthereof, and subsequently laterally displacing; the end gportion of thebar in a direction substantially parallel tothe inclination of theunderside of the foot thereof. V

2. The; process blank to shaping means to "produce a bar sectionhavin-g-anangle member and a base. member of final forlnand positionalong the V centralpart of thebar, and subsequently dis:

placingjthe end portions of the bar laterally in a diagonal direction tothereby bring the a I end portions of thehead afndbase of thebar" intonew pla'nes- In testimony whereof I hereunto ailiX my signature inathepresence ottwo Witnesses.

Copies of this patent maybe obtainedflfor five cents eaeh by addressingthe, Commissioner of l ate;nts,

, Washington, 1L0.

of making cambered rail; Jo nt bars which cons sts 1n sub ect ng a bar

